We Have Leverage
by Princess Jaquline Chess
Summary: In one world, Gothel's time runs out before she can make it to the tower one day, and Rapunzel is left on her own. With no where else to go, she braves the outside world. But to survive, she has to steal, leading to a run-in with a certain pair of thieves. From there, things take a tail spin that leads to her learning things she never expected about herself and where she comes from
1. The Art of the Deal

_**Chapter summary: Rapunzel knows how to make deals.**_

* * *

Rapunzel – when she was twelve years old – had to take a leap of faith.

Mother had been gone from the tower for a very long time, such a long time that all the food in the tower had run out. Rapunzel had waited for as long as she could after that, she had been so young after all, waiting and hoping that Mother would come back because she was so little, and she couldn't possibly take care of herself.

(At the same time, a piece of her had wished Mother would never come back because Mother always so strict and hated most of the things she liked and never let her go outside.)

But then after a week and a half with no Mother, Rapunzel had to decide if she wanted to keep praying Mother would come back or if she needed to leave the tower. Rapunzel has been terrified to the bone but also excited beyond compare when she chosen to find a way out, which she found in the boarded-up stairs Mother claimed to have gotten rid of years ago.

Rapunzel had been so excited when she stepped out into the grass for the first time, the feel of emerald green blades soft against her bare feet and the sun beating on her arms. Birds and butterflies became real not just pictures in a book and paintings on her wall.

The outside world was her world now, and she was excited and terrified and anxious to be apart of it.

For the first two years, she had been on her own. In those two years she hadn't wanted to, but she had devolved quite a few handy skills as pickpocket. Once she got her hair under control as very long ponytail (she was much too scared to cut it, even years after leaving Mother's care), she became a rather good little petty thief.

A few coins out of a lady's purse here, an apple off a cart there. Not much, never enough to be caught, just enough to get her through a couple days. Though her contempt for it remained as the two years went on, a resignation came with it. She had no skills, nothing to sell, no way to get an apprenticeship, just about the only way that could get some money was her hair.

And though Rapunzel had come to realize how terrible Mother was to her, her advice to keep her power hidden she learned perhaps had been something worth listening too.

But on Rapunzel's fourteenth birthday, her world changed again.

She had been in the capital city for the Lost Princess's Anniversary. That always drew big crowds, which made it easy for her to get a little extra off the carts. She could steal enough fruit and coins to last her maybe two weeks – a month even, if she played her cards right.

Then, from across the pavilion, she had seen two people watching the baker's shop. They were walking down the street on opposite ends, peeking inside as they passed and whispering whenever they met. The two were scouting it out for something, most likely for some bread and coins.

Rapunzel had watched from the corner, keeping a watchful eye on the fruit stand she herself was planning to strike first, seeing if they were a threat to her own chances. If these two got caught, that would put the guards on high alert and force her to up her game, so she didn't get caught likewise.

The two boys were older than her, that was obvious. By how much she wasn't sure, but enough that she could tell that they were closer to adulthood than adolescence but still young enough to be her peers.

One was incredibly tall, with dark skin and a red vest. He lacked any hair on his head but had the beginnings of stubble around his chin. He was stocky – much stockier than most thieves she could think of, so Rapunzel was willing bet that this boy leaned more towards the muscle side of whatever partnership he had with the other boy.

The other boy was tall as well – no where near as tall as the other boy, but much taller than her – with tan skin, and brown hair cut in short strands at the base of his neck and a few hairs on his chin as well. He was smaller than his friend, much wirier, better fitted for thievery. He was the leader, she could tell from his posture and the glance he gave his friend. Even if it was never spoken, this boy was the leader.

Rapunzel looked away from the second boy, who was making her feel very strange. He was by far the handsomest boy she had ever seen before. She shook her head and turned back around to face the boys, wondering if they were going to scout today and strike tomorrow, or if they were daring enough to try this kind of heist during the Lantern Festival. Petty theft on the street was one thing, but this was something else.

The leader boy looked up, and bright hazel eyes met her green ones. Rapunzel's breath hitched in her throat and she pulled back from her position, turning on her back towards the street she was standing on. The building she was peeking over the side of was cold against her back, the thin layer of her hair providing very little barrier between the two.

Her breathing was heavy as she hoped and prayed that it had just been a trick of the light, that he hadn't seen her, that she was just imagining things. She steadied her breath and peeked over the edge of the building again, hoping that they were still walking in that strange formation, but instead found those hazel eyes inches from her.

She gave a gasp at the proximity and stepped back, nearly tripping on her hair.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked. His voice was young too, but deep enough to pass for mature. The second boy appeared at the leader boy's flank, crossing his arms with a quizzical expression.

"N-no," Rapunzel answered nervously. The leader boy raised a brow and leaned against the building, an easy smirk on his lips.

"Then why, pray tell, have you been watching me and my buddy here for the last five minutes?" the second boy asked. Rapunzel blinked and felt a rosy blush rise to her cheeks. It seemed she hadn't been as subtle as she thought.

"You-you're trying to steal from the bakery," Rapunzel offered up. The leader boy rolled his eyes.

"Oh, really?" leader boy said. "And on what grounds does that claim come from, Blondie?"

Rapunzel frowned. "You've been scouting it out."

The second boy shook his head. "I believe your mistaken, little miss. We've simply been pacing the street because our parents don't like us leaving the street."

Now it was Rapunzel's turn to raise a brow. "Oh, really? What's your father's name then?"

"Bobby," said leader boy.

"John," said the second boy.

Leader boy looked at the second boy in irritation.

"Bobby John," leader boy amended, smirk just as charismatic as ever. But Rapunzel wasn't buying one bit of it, crossing her arms and frowning at the two of them in disbelief. She wasn't the girl in the tower anymore – she was no fool.

"Your father's name is Bobby John?" Rapunzel asked, looking between the two boys.

"Yes," they both said, looking unshakable in their resolve. Rapunzel was almost inclined to believe them.

"Then why'd you call him Bobby?" Rapunzel asked. "And you'd call him John?"

Now leader boy hesitated for a moment – probably not having been anticipating that question – and Rapunzel smiled, taking that moment to catch them.

"Exactly," Rapunzel said. "You're scouting out the bakery."

Second boy bit his lip nervously, while leader boy tried to remain calm. Rapunzel, however, could see little cracks in his bravado; his smirk was starting to droop just a little on the sides.

"Okay, so, what if we are?" leader boy asked. He inclined himself forward, rising his shoulders to appear more imposing. "What are you going to do?"

"Call the guards on us?" second boy picked up.

No, she couldn't do that. Though she wasn't an enemy of the state, she knew at least one warrant was out for her arrest. Calling the guards would only result in her being arrested alongside these two.

She sighed.

"Depending on how good you are?" Rapunzel asked. "I was going to join you."

This got their attention. Both of their postures straightened at once, eyes widening out to sizes comparable to saucers.

"No, no way, not happening!" leader boy said, warm eyes becoming more stubborn. Second boy joined in on this, frowning deeply.

"The last thing we need is you messing this up for us," second boy continued. Rapunzel pursued her lip out and crossed her arms.

"You got spotted by _me!"_ Rapunzel said. "You're lucky that it wasn't just some guard that caught onto your little game here." She looked at her nails. Play neutral, make them think you could care less, that was a piece of advice dropped on her once when she tried to hook up with a band of pirates.

" _You're a girl, sweetie,"_ the leader, a woman with brown hair named Caine, had told her " _and you'll have to play hard to join any team."_

Leader boy bit his lip. "Regardless, we're not taking along an amateur. Have you ever even stolen anything in your life?"

She hated lying, she really did, but she couldn't let them know she was a thief too until after she got on board. Her own card was that she could go to the guards at any time, and that would be taken from her hand if they knew she had a warrant out for her.

"You got to get a start somewhere," Rapunzel fibbed, voice lighter than she felt. The boys, however, seemed less than impressed with her little joke. They continued to look at her with those blank expressions that told her plainly that she wasn't invited on their little escapade to steal from the baker.

Okay. Plan B, Rapunzel.

She plastered on a sympathetic look as she could manage, crossing her arms with a languished sigh.

"Well, it looks like I'll have no choice but to offer you a deal," Rapunzel said.

"A deal?" leader boy asked, interest a little peeked. Rapunzel smiled widely, mischief shining in her green eyes.

"You let me in, or I'll have no choice but to tell the guards," Rapunzel said. Leader boy's eyes narrowed.

"You're bluffing," leader boy said. Second boy looked a little more frightened at the prospect – it seemed he believed she would actually do it.

"Try me," Rapunzel said warningly. Her and leader boy remained in a staring contest for several moments as he tried to discern if she was telling the truth (she hoped that he wasn't catching on that she wasn't). He scrutinized her for a moment longer before giving a very loud sigh.

"Fine!" he said. Rapunzel smiled.

"Really?" she nearly squealed. Second boy looked less excited.

"Really?" second boy asked.

"But if you get caught, we aren't coming back for you, got it Blondie?" the leader boy said, raising a finger stubbornly.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Rapunzel said. She stuck out her hand to shake.

"I'm Rapunzel," she said, "but you can call me your new partner!"

Leader boy shook his head. "Partner-in-training-on-a-one-time-basis, okay, Blondie?" He pointed to himself. "Name's Flynn Ryder, and this is Lance."

Lance waved unsurely, but his eyes were nicer than before.

"Now, come on," Flynn said, turning on his heel. "We've got some more planning to do."

* * *

Partner-in-training-on-a-one-time-basis became full-time partner fairly quickly.

After that first bakery job, which had gone just swimmingly, except for the part where they went on a mad dash for three hours to now get caught – even if they had managed to score a couple of coins and at least a week's worth of bread – Flynn and Lance had let her stick around for one more job and then another and then another and then soon enough two years had gone by.

They became a trio of thieves and each one had their roles. Flynn was, pretty simply, the thief. Out of the three of them, he was obviously the best out of that part of the job. Slights of hands, pickpocketing, breaking and entering, all of it he could do with a kind of ease none of them could master. If they needed someone to sneak in, he became the go to guy.

Lance was a jack of all trades – he could be a thief when they really needed someone else with Flynn but was good at eliminating the people in their way. He didn't kill them, but he wasn't too shabby in a fight even if he preferred a nice grab and go to having to take down assailants.

And Rapunzel? Rapunzel was the grifter – the distraction. At age fourteen, she had been just young enough to garner pity for her plight and keep their targets distracted. But as time wore on, her role expanded to playing many roles and using so many names and ruses that it was impossible to find her real one by word of mouth. And it didn't exactly deter that she was growing up into quite a pretty young lady, something that always managed to distract some of their less-than-stellar marks.

Flynn helped with this some too – he had been nineteen when they met and now at twenty-one most remains of adolescence was completely gone from his physique. He was handsome, something he was fully aware of and used to his advantage, flirting with female marks so that Lance or less commonly Rapunzel could sneak up and take the purse or item she had.

Rapunzel noted this change in Flynn many times with a fluttery feeling in her stomach, something she wondered if Flynn was noting about her. But if the way he kept treating her (with the casualness one would give a sibling) was any indication, he certainly wasn't.

But still, that didn't matter, because at least they all had each other. And for two years, they worked pretty well together, becoming a unit that got even the Baron's attention.

When the Baron summoned them to Vardaros, they had been more or less completely terrified. The Baron was everyone's worst nightmare – cunning and ruthless, he was the Machiavelli of crime bosses. When they first heard that the man was asking around for them, they had been very afraid that it was because they crossed some line – went over his territory without knowing.

But when they arrived in Vardaros to find that the Baron was after their heads (yet), but simply wanted to give them a job, Rapunzel had been very relieved.

This was the chance of a lifetime – working for the Baron meant no one messed with you, everyone was too afraid to mess with the Baron to dare come after his men. It meant that her and her small family of friends could be safe, finally, not wondering where their next meal was coming from.

They settled into life under the Baron's care nicely. They would get sent out on one or two jobs a month, give him what he sent them for and they would get a square of the share and a place to rest. All in all, not that bad. Some of the character's around them were shady even for them – wanted thieves – but besides from Anthony the Weasel, all in all, they were harmless.

(Besides, if they tried to hurt one of them, they had Rapunzel's hair – a secret Rapunzel disclosed to them six months after meeting them when Flynn wouldn't shut up about her hair being too long for the jobs.)

Also helping them was that Flynn had fallen into good favor with the Baron's daughter, Stalayn. Stalayn was also a pretty good thief in her own right, that Rapunzel could tell from the one or two jobs they had been forced to have her on the crew. Several years older than Rapunzel, Stalayn had knee-length brunette hair and womanly curves she just didn't yet, something Flynn seemed to like very much.

Not that that last part had anything to do with her not liking Stalayn ( _Lance, I mean it._ ) No, Stalayn had that uneasy look in her eye and an angry curve to her jaw that made Rapunzel think that this girl would drop them at a moment's notice if the job went south. And while Rapunzel knew honor amongst thieves was scarce, she didn't take too kindly to this variable being exposed to her family.

But for a year they kept up their employment with the Baron, and Flynn kept up that good grace with Stalayn. Flynn would within two months proclaim to love Stalayn (something that put a very bitter taste in her mouth), and within six would be lined up to marry her (something that had put a tight feeling in her chest).

Everything would have been completely fine – they would've stayed here under the Baron and Flynn would have gotten the happily ever after the girl of his dreams if _they_ hadn't walked through the doors.

Lance, Flynn, and Rapunzel had become pretty common members of the Baron's, err, welcoming committee. They always were around when new people were brought to him for audiences or punishments. Flynn was to be his son-in-law, and Lance and Rapunzel were his partners in crime, they were unspoken family of him now.

On this particular day, things had been slow, no new audiences or jobs to go on. Flynn had been called off with Stalayn for wedding planning (as daughter of the Baron, no expense would be spared), so it had just been Lance and Rapunzel lounging around the living space they were giving in with bored faces and conversation that went in circles.

( _You realize he's, like, the same age as me, right?_ Lance, I don't have feelings for Flynn – _Keep telling yourself that, little miss.)_

They, had however, been quickly pulled by the Weasel to come greet surprise visitors, brought in especially because they had crossed the Baron.

So, they had stood at the Baron's side, meanest snarl she could manage on her face when the doors opened to reveal who it was that had arisen the Baron's ire.

One was a girl who looked around Flynn and Lance's age, hair cropped short to her ears and olive-green eyes. She was scowling as she was brought forward, hands tied together, and eyes narrowed on the incoming form of the Baron. This sight was not something that surprised Rapunzel – young men and women were brought in all the time for wronging the Baron. She had probably gone rogue on a freelance job or mouthed off to her handler.

But then Rapunzel's heart stopped when she saw who was being dragged in next.

It was a boy – scrawny and young with unkempt hair. Cracked goggles was on his head, raven hair being held back by the brown strap of the item, blue eyes wide with fear. This was a young boy – very young, couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen, hands tied like the girl.

This was a child. The Baron was going to punish a child – and Rapunzel knew what the punishments given by this man were.

"He's so young," Rapunzel breathed. She hoped her partners caught her meaning. Apparently, they did because Lance leaned forward to whisper.

"We can't let him punish a child, Flynn," Lance said, voice almost inaudible. Flynn shuffled on his feet, face unsure, but made no comment.

"Cassandra Burrow and Varian Wry," the Baron's voice boomed, eyes unrelentingly cold. "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long. I've dreamed of this day."

Cassandra – the girl – smirked at the words.

"Glad to know you dream of me," Cassandra said. Her eyes were fearless in a way Rapunzel had never seen before. The boy – Varian – looked more afraid, especially once Cassandra started talking.

" _Cassie –"_ Varian hissed fearfully under his breath.

"Silence!" the Baron roared. "Such disrespect will not be tolerated in my presence."

The man holding the rope tightened her bands as punishment and did so to Varian too for equal measure. Cassandra gave a hiss at the pain while Varian tried to jerk away, only to get a swift slap across his face for the motion.

Varian looked up in surprise, fire lighting in Cassandra's eyes at this movement. A red mark began to appear on Varian's face. On instinct, Rapunzel tried to move forward only for Flynn to take her arm and pull her back.

"Easy Blondie," Flynn whispered. "We don't know what he's doing yet."

Rapunzel gave one restless sigh but did ease a little at Flynn's words. The Baron may not be known for mercy, but she had never seen him put a child to death. He could have compassion in that heart somewhere.

"You've stolen from men, double crossed my precious Stalayn –" Stalayn smirked deviously from his spot at her side, something Cassandra returned with an unforgiving stare "—and then have the audacity to come into Vardaros, trespassing into my territory."

"But's that only because –" Varian tried, only to be swiftly cut off by Cassandra.

"She left us for dead in the middle of nowhere," Cassandra said. "Nearly got Varian killed by arrows, and we only took her share because she didn't do _anything._ "

The silence after that statement was almost deafening. No one ever dared insult Stalayn – lest they get the full wrath of the Baron's men. Even Flynn – Stalayn's own fiancé – was too shocked to come to her defense.

Stalayn, meanwhile, merely smirked more and climbed down to their level with slow, even steps.

"I only wished to instill in little Varian here the trademarks of being a thief – never trust anyone," Stalayn said. Her words were icy and cold, so much so that they put a dark feeling in Rapunzel. She reached down to ruffle Varian's hair. Rapunzel could see Varian did not appreciate the gesture, but the red mark on his face and rope on his hands kept him from pulling away.

"You nearly cost me the greatest thing in this world," the Baron said, leaning back in his stone chair. "As well as continually stole from my men, losing me hundreds in profits. Such insolence will not be tolerated."

Varian's eyes became more fearful and Rapunzel wanted to reach out, but Flynn's hand still on her arm and her own fear kept her rooted to the spot.

"You must be made an example of," the Baron said. "Tomorrow at noon, you shall be killed for all Vardaros to see."

Cassandra began yelling at him, harsh and unforgiving while tears streamed from Varian's eyes. Rapunzel felt her heart break in a thousand pieces.

The Baron was going to kill a child – a sweet child, one that still had a chance to get out of this life. He was so young, nothing he could have done could justify the Baron putting him to death. And this Cassandra too? What could she have done? What could anyone have done to force the Baron's hand to this?

Well, whatever it was, Rapunzel wouldn't let it happen on her watch.

"Wait!" Rapunzel called, breaking out of Flynn's grip. She stood firm in front of Cassandra and Varian, her bottle green eyes wide with determination and fear.

" _Blondie!"_ Flynn shouted after her, but Rapunzel didn't turn to him.

The Baron's eyes narrowed.

"Rapunzel Gothel," he drawled, and a shiver went up Rapunzel's spine at the tone. Not since Mother had she been so afraid of someone. "What are you doing?"

"Yo-you can't do this," Rapunzel said simply. Her voice was braver than her heart felt.

He raised a brow. "Why not? They have stolen from us! Left Stalayn for dead, could have left your partner with no fiancé! I believe the punishment is more than fair."

Rapunzel gulped. The Baron was not known for reasoning, at least never to the other's advantage. But she couldn't let this happen. She couldn't watch a child die.

"They stole from you, us?" Rapunzel asked. "Give them a chance to return what they stole. On our next job – send them with us! Me and the boys can keep an eye on them!"

The Baron pursued his lips while Stalayn just laughed, crossing her arms at Rapunzel's side.

"And who's to say they won't just double cross you, _Blondie_?" Stalayn said. Rapunzel grit her teeth. No one could call her Blondie, unless that person was Flynn Ryder.

"Me and my team are the best thieves you have," Rapunzel said. "We've never left a man behind, even those we didn't like." Rapunzel hoped Stalayn knew she was talking about her. "Why would we letting enemies get away be different?"

The Baron took a deep breath. "You know how I feel about second chances."

That he never gave them. Yes, she knew very well.

"How about a deal then?" Rapunzel asked. "If we manage to bring them back here with enough to pay you back, then you hire them on as thieves to work with me, Lance, and Flynn."

The Baron's lips twitched into almost a smile. "And if you don't return with them or the payment?"

Rapunzel took a breath. "Then I will tell you the truth behind my hair."

Flynn and Lance both in took breath, and another silence engulfed the crowd. It was an open secret that her hair was that long for a reason – none knew why, and none dared asked. She was one the Baron's top men and had been hired not for her hair but for her skill, but Rapunzel knew that Baron wished to know even if he never said. She also knew that the Baron was a gambling man - and this was an offer he couldn't refuse.

It was the perfect bargaining chip. One she hoped didn't backfire.

The Baron gave a poor but loud excuse of a laugh. "Very well. You shall return with these two fiends and my payment when I give you your next assignment, or you will tell me why it is you have never cut your hair. Are we agreed?"

"Yes."

* * *

 _ **Me: *has three other fics, homework, and responsibilities***_  
 _ **Also, Me: LEVERAGE AU BABY!**_

 _ **This is a fairly short story, it'll be at most five chapters and like maybe one or two follow-ups, but I hope you guys like it. It's essentially a what-if taking the idea that main four are all orphan/thieves and then throwing in Varian for good measure because every family needs the little brother. :)**_

 _ **Raps is totally crushing hard on Eugene/Flynn, but she's sixteen so he doesn't quite return the affection yet – she's still technically a kid after all! It would be weird if he did! But for now, Raps is trying her hardest to get him to notice her, even if he's one hundred percent oblivious. The age difference is about…five years? Why can' Eugene have a canon age? Must we guess?**_

 _ **Also, Rapunzel only thinks her last name is Gothel – she was raised by a woman calling herself Mother Gothel, so she just picked that as her last name when she was pressed to get one. As for Cass and Varian's surnames – Cassandra I literally bulled from thin air but for Varian it was because he's kind of sassy and mocks the royal family – he's wry. I thought it was funny. If you read some of my other Tangled stuff, you'll recognize that this isn't the first time I used that name for him.**_

 _ **Unfortunately, Pascal and Rudiger had to be cut from the story - I love them, but honestly I couldn't find a way to fit them that wouldn't just sideline them. So they're just off living happily in the forest. Yay!**_

 _ **Hope y'all enjoyed!**_  
 _ **\- Princess Chess**_


	2. Lines in the Sand

It had taken less than a week for the Baron to send them out on their assignment. Thought he may play the part of the calculating snake to keep up the appearance of prowess, Rapunzel knew that deep down inside, the Baron was a very impatient man. He now had the chance to learn her secret, something that would keep her tied to him forever regardless of where Flynn or Lance may go, and she knew it would be days before he figured out a way to get his chance at it.

It wasn't an easy assignment, the one the Baron had given them. Equis's monarch had security to be rivaled by none – not even the stringent King Frederic of Corona had such a tight handle on his castle, and he had dozens of security measures after his baby daughter was kidnapped.

So, when Flynn and Lance found out that was where the Baron wished to send them, they had near exploded.

"He's setting us up to fail!" Lance said. "Sending us to Equis is a ticket to the noose and he knows it!"

The unspoken words, that he would find a way to get her back, so he could learn her secret, went unsaid but Rapunzel could feel their ring in her ears all the same.

"Equis will be just like every other place we _thought_ we couldn't get into," Rapunzel said. She shifted her feet uneasily, the stone floor of their living quarters cold against her skin. After all these years, she still couldn't bring herself to wear shoes. They felt weird, squishing her toes together and making her skin feel tight. They also helped with stealth, so besides from a few comments here or their Lance and Flynn usually let it slide.

"The obvious difference being that we won't make it out of Equis!" Lance said. "This is a death mission, Rapunzel!"

"You're forgetting that we have _two_ other people to help us!" Rapunzel said. Lance sighed over-dramatically and threw himself into a chair, crossing his arms over his red vest.

"Oh yes, the whole reason we're in this mess to begin with," Lance said. Rapunzel sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Lance, we couldn't just let him put a _kid_ to death," Rapunzel said. Lance said something that Rapunzel couldn't hear and turned away from her. Rapunzel knew that Lance really didn't want to see that kid – _Varian,_ Rapunzel reminded herself, he was a person – be killed by the Baron. But on the same hand, Equis? The Baron had given them an Equis assignment?

Rapunzel turned to Flynn, who so far had done nothing but sit in the corner quietly watching them. His eyes were contemplative as they fell on her, and she could see slight anger in his hazel eyes. She knew he wasn't happy that Rapunzel had bet her hair – he had stubbornly refused to talk to her about since a week ago, when he had pulled her aside and told her so.

"You shouldn't have done that," he had said, quiet anger in his voice. "Now you'll never get out of the life."

Rapunzel was no fool – she knew that whenever Lance and Flynn looked at her, they still saw that fourteen-year-old girl. They thought she could find a way out of this game they played, finally walk the line of good.

But the joke was on them. She wasn't leaving without them.

She kept her gaze on Flynn, hoping that he would say something, anything, that would get Lance back on her side. Flynn may be angry with her, but she hoped that he at least saw that she honestly hadn't wanted this. She hadn't meant for an Equis mission. She had just wanted to save a little boy.

Flynn remained impassive and Rapunzel felt a knot grow in her stomach. She had always been a little more reckless than them – going after things even if it meant she could get caught, saying something even if it could get them in trouble. But every time, she always had Flynn on her side to calm the protective and dramatic storm that was Lance.

This time, however, she feared she had crossed the line. This was something Flynn was leaving her to sort on her own – he wasn't on her side anymore.

She felt her heart begin to shatter, but then Flynn spoke before it could crumble completely.

"Blondie's right," he said, standing from his seat. Rapunzel released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "We couldn't let the Baron kill a child."

He sighed and looked at Lance, who was frowning considerably.

"But Equis is a death mission," Flynn said. "If it was just one of us? We could do it. But five people would get caught."

"Then what are we going to do?" Lance said. "Run off?"

Flynn nodded once. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

Rapunzel gaped at Flynn. Run off? Leave the Baron's service? That would put a bounty on their head within seconds, make them some of the most hunted thieves in all of the Seven Kingdoms.

But what ever option was there? Stay here? Sent on a mission that would get Flynn and Lance killed – not to mention Cassandra and Varian, whom were now marked for death no matter what – and her forced to live here, using her magic and revealing her secret?

It was loose-loose, and all three knew it.

"What about Cassandra? And Varian?" Rapunzel asked softly. "If we leave – he'll-he'll kill them."

Flynn sucked in a breath, but then smiled. "Then I guess we'll have to take them with us."

Lance blinked rapidly. "Flynn, we can't even trust them!"

"We don't have to trust them!" Flynn said. "We just have to make sure they aren't dead!"

Rescuing Cassandra and Varina would be no simple task. They were still technically prisoners, being held in the basement of the Baron's home. No one was allowed down there – except the Baron and Anthony the Weasel, his right-hand man with a knack for torture. Not even his precious Stalayn could make the journey without fear of punishment.

 _Stalayn._

"What about Stalayn?" Rapunzel asked softly. "You're going to marry her. You lo-love her."

Flynn smiled at her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I love my family more."

Rapunzel felt her heart grow three sizes. Flynn was choosing her and Lance over a life with Stalayn, a life of luxury – the life he had always wished for. He was choosing _them._

"Now, come on," Flynn said. "We have a duo to save."

* * *

Flynn was _furious._

Rapunzel had gone and bet everything on two people she didn't know, let alone trust. That hair, her magic, was the one ace up her sleeve. It gave her some refuge – as long as she had a secret the Baron didn't know, she could use it to her advantage.

But now Rapunzel was willing to lose it over two total strangers.

He could see where she was coming from, he didn't want them to die either. Couldn't there have been a different way? One that kept Rapunzel out of danger? One that kept Rapunzel from losing the one thing that gave her refuge here?

She was reckless and impulsive, that's why, and this time she had finally done something that would cost her everything. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let Blondie be the Baron's minion forever. Rapunzel was the best thing in his life – a piece of sunshine in the hell that was this damnable world they called home – and he couldn't let the Baron take her for his own, just another piece of his game.

Rapunzel would be free of this life one day, mark his words. But traveling to Equis for this job, that would be the nail in the coffin that force her into this life forever.

The day of the travel to Equis arrived, the sun shining brightly over Vardaros, not a speck of a cloud in sight. Flynn couldn't remember a single day it rained here. It seemed the weather knew that something dangerous was here and was scared of the Baron too.

Flynn and Lance waited in the main room for Rapunzel, who was preparing her bag. This was the last time they could be here if everything went according to plan, so she was trying to fit as many as her trinkets in it as she could without arising suspicion.

"Blondie's sure taking a long time," Flynn said, leaning against a pillar casually. Lance seemed less relaxed than he did, anxiety in his eyes.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Lance whispered.

No. He was not sure. At least he wasn't sure it was the right thing for him. But for Rapunzel? And for Lance too?

Hell yes. This was the right thing.

"What other choice do we have?" Flynn said under his breath. Lance didn't say anything else. They had this fight many times in the past few days, before Lance had finally relented, but not before giving him a thought that had made Flynn's heart clench.

"I just hope Stalayn doesn't come after Rapunzel," Lance had said, eyes hard as he walked away. "Because she'll never forgive Rapunzel for you choosing her."

Flynn hadn't known what Lance had even meant by that. Flynn wasn't choosing anyone – especially since there was no choice between Stalayn and Rapunzel anyway. They had to run, they didn't _have_ a choice.

As for Stalayn? She was advocating for a child's death. No matter how much he loved her, Flynn couldn't ignore how wrong that was.

"I guess you're right," Lance said, snapping him back to the present.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, waiting for Rapunzel to return. The sword hanging over them kept their mouths shut, a familiar fear of the unknown embedding itself in their stomachs. There was nothing they could do to patch up the relationship they were about to break and once it was gone, they could never feel fully safe in the world. Always looking over their shoulder, wondering if when the Baron was going to come for them.

"Guys?"

Rapunzel appeared at their side, eyes wide with concern, the emotion in them impossible to miss if anyone was looking. She clutched her bag tightly, veins sticking out from how tight her grip was.

"Hey Blondie," Flynn greeted. He had meant to sound casual, but it just came out a soft strain. He tried a smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

She frowned.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she said quietly.

"No," Flynn said honestly. He may know it was the right thing to do, but it didn't make it the wisest thing from a survival standpoint. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Lance cleared this throat, squaring his shoulders back. "But like Flynn said – what choice do we have?"

Lance's words were just the push they needed. The trio pushed forward in a stony and tense silence, the very large elephant in the room too much for any of the to handle and so they opted to let it be.

They made their way out of the foyer and into the outside pavilion that the Baron liked to hold his mock court in. His title came from centuries of aristocracy, and he had spent decades reclaiming it as the master of a criminal network. He would act as a Baron would – court and everything.

Flynn found it disgusting, but at times wondered if he would have done any different. As someone with nothing, power and luxury at the prince of humanity at one point had seemed very tempting.

Weasel was there, as was Stalayn with that grin that seemed welcoming and frightening at the same time. Flynn smiled the best he could at her, ignoring the gnawing guilt in his stomach at what he was about to do. Cruel and malicious and mean though she was, a part of him did love her and that part was screaming at him to not do this. But the other, much larger part, was yelling at him that he needed to keep Lance and Rapunzel safe.

"Good morning, Stalayn," Rapunzel ventured. Stalayn didn't even look at her and that small fraction wanting to stay for her died a little. Stalayn had never liked Rapunzel, but Flynn had never understood why. Rapunzel was nice and kind and never had a bad word about anyone – the exact opposite of everyone player in this stupid game. She was a breath of fresh, how could Stalayn not appreciate that?

"No good morning for me, sunshine?" Weasel said. His gravely voice was meant to sound teasing, but his scowl turned the phrase sour in their ears. He narrowed his eyes at Weasel.

"Where are the others?" Flynn asked. Weasel gave a crumpled copy of smile all his own.

"They'll be here any moment now," Weasel said. Lance shivered at Weasel's inflection. Not that Flynn could blame him – the Weasel could be especially creepy and unsettling when he wished to be.

A rusting came from the doors, and out came Cassandra and Varian. They were still tied with rope, connected by a thin slip of rope tying the bonds connected their hands together. They were being escorted by a tall man, a burlap sack thrown over his shoulder and face a mix of impassive emotion.

Rapunzel gave a hitch of breath and Lance blinked, and Flynn knew they were also seeing what he was. Each had a mirage of bruises on their faces and lining their arms, a dribble of blood was even running down Cassandra's eyebrow from a small cut near her hair lining. They looked very gaunt and almost weak, but Cassandra's fiery look hadn't diminished from her two weeks in the Baron's care.

They stopped right in front of them, the escort pulling the rope to get them to stop moving. Varian didn't say anything, just looked at them for a moment in curiosity and a bit of fear. Flynn tried to fix him with a smile in an attempt to ease his worry, but it didn't work, because Varian just continued his silent staring for several more moments.

Cassandra, however, didn't seem to care one or another about them. She turned to the escort, holding up her still shackled hands with a frown.

"Can we take these off now?" Cassandra said. Her voice was strange – hard and determined, like lightening captured in her throat, just like he remembered from the day in the square.

"Y-yeah, can-can we?" Varian tacked on, voice stuttering nervously. "I-I m-mean if-if w-we keep th-them on for too-too long, o-our hands will start to loose-to loose circulation and then it'll be much harder for the job, because then our body would be more concerned with replenishing blood flow, making our hands weaker as they tried – "

"Were you're going," Weasel cut off, "your hands will have more than enough time for blood flow or whatever it is you said."

Varian frowned and looked back down at his clasped hands. The deeper he went on into his little ramble, his voice had gotten higher and less nervous, obviously very excited about what he knew about circulation. Flynn smiled. It seemed they had a curious boy on there hands. Him and Rapunzel would get along nicely, he could already tell from that alone.

Regardless of what he just said, Weasel did motion for their escort to remove the bonds of the two. He sliced off the rope with a knife he produced from his belt, something Cassandra eyed subtly as she removed her wrists from the knot it was in.

Varian seemed to have bit of trouble getting his undone, bottom lip bit in determination as he tried to wrangle his wrists free from the bonds. Rapunzel caught this and stepped towards the little boy.

"Here, let me help you," Rapunzel said. She reached for his hand but was abruptly cut off by Cassandra stepping in front of her with a scowl.

"I've got this," Cassandra said. Rapunzel blinked, surprised but otherwise unbothered by the action. Flynn reached out and pulled Rapunzel back towards him and Lance gently. Cassandra really was like lightening it seemed – ready to strike.

Cassandra turned from them, helping Varian untie his wrists. He whispered something to her that Flynn couldn't hear, but whatever it was didn't get that much of a response from Cassandra. She pressed her lips into a firm line and stepped away from him.

Flynn was surprised when the next thing Varian did was turn to escort expectantly.

"My bow," he said simply, and at first Flynn was confused. A ribbon? Why would Varian need a ribbon? Then it struck him – Varian was asking for his weapon.

Well that was a surprise. He had assumed that out of the two of them, the elder and much more stoic Cassandra would be the first to ask for her weapons back or a weapon, at all actually. Varian, from the little bit Flynn had seen, didn't seem like the weapon type at all.

The escort huffed and dropped the bag at the boy's feet. Varian barely waited for the bag to touch the ground before he scooped it up in his arms and began rifling through it. Flynn could see the hunger in they boy's eyes as he searched for the bow he had asked for.

He pulled out a sword and a sheath and handed it to Cassandra, who quickly fixed it so that it was slung across her back. He pulled out or two random daggers, giving one to Cassandra and one to himself before his eyes narrowed, pulling out a medium sized bow and quiver, confusion on his face.

Flynn couldn't see why – it was a fine bow all things considered. And especially taking into account that they were about to bust the two of them out, it would be a life line for the boy in the weeks to come.

"This-this isn't my bow," Varian said. Cassandra put a hand on her shoulder, but it was too late, a fiery anger was in the boy's eyes now. He turned on Weasel, eyes glinting a hard and dark light, crystal eyes as sharp as the dagger on his belt.

"Where is it?" Varian said. It wasn't a question.

Weasel paid no mind to the boy's anger, merely gave that excuse of a smile again and pointed his bladed finger towards the bow in Varian's hands.

"A bow is a bow, my boy," Weasel said. "You're lucky we gave you any arrows to go with it."

Varian's anger didn't falter. "But tha-that bow. It's mine."

"Consider it…collateral," Weasel said. "You stole from the Baron – now he takes something from you."

Varian's anger was hot and wet, thinly held tears threatening to spill at the edge of his eyes. Flynn didn't know what the deal with the bow was – but whatever it was, it was something trying to boil over here in the Baron's square.

"Bu-but it was my da—"

"Varian," Cassandra said, taking his shoulder. Her voice was still hard, but much softer now, almost maternal in a way. "It's-it's just a bow."

A silent message must have been sent, because Varian stopped at Cassandra's voice, stepping away from Weasel and putting the half-full quiver of arrows on his back. Varian didn't look ready to put away that anger, the harsh edge to his eyes unchanged even when he turned away from Weasel.

Flynn raised a brow at the exchange. Cassandra noted this and raised her own brow, daring him, and any of them, to say anything. They none did.

* * *

Cassandra Burrows, when she fifteen, made a promise she wasn't sure she could keep.

Lunara had been down hill ever since that first spiky rock had popped up, and that had been when she was thirteen. She was the daughter of a guard's man, so she was no stranger to the inner workings of the palace. And the King's nephew, Varian, was no exception to that.

She nine years his senior, which meant that the age gap kept them from being friends per say, but Cassandra and her father, Adrien, had been close enough to the Wry family to aware of Quirin and Varian.

The two years were the kingdom began to die more, the rocks became more numerous, and Adrien and Quirin were called in more and more to advise King Edmund on the growing problems. This left Cassandra to look after Varian, since Varian's mother, Maria, had passed years before. Cassandra in that time did come to care for him, like how one would care for a sibling.

But when it all went sideways, forcing Cassandra to leave her home, Quirin had looked her dead in the eye and asked her to take Varian with her. Cassandra had hesitated, like anyone would have, but had taken one look in Quirin's concerned eyes and made the promise.

So, for almost six years that's what she had been doing, looking after Varian as the tried to make their way in this very confusing world. It had been a near breaking point for her when a year in she had finally made herself became the very thing she hated: a thief.

Varian unfortunately had been sucked into it with her, and he reacted the same way he always did – with curiosity and glee and skill far beyond what he should have at his age. Varian was smart, smarter than she ever was at his age, and didn't deserve to be here – and neither did she, if she was being honest – but on the same measure, they had no choice.

They had to eat, and that meant stealing to eat.

Cassandra peeked over to where Varian was walking beside her, hands clutched tightly around the wooden bow. In the hours since their release, his scowl had slowly transformed into a mask of hurt that to anyone else would see impassive.

But Cassandra wasn't everyone else.

Cassandra looked forward, to where their companions where walking. Flynn and Lance had taken the lead, one or two random thieves that were assigned to go with them lurking to their sides. None of them seemed to be listening, Flynn and Lance too wrapped up in their current whispered conversation to give a care what either of them were saying. The two other guards seemed lost in thought, or just didn't seem to care at all.

The only threat then was Rapunzel, who had taken the rear. She had been silent the whole trip so far but had a carefully guarded expression the whole time that made it hard for Cassandra to gauge what it was the young blonde was thinking about or if she was listening.

Cassandra decided to take a leap of faith, hoping that Rapunzel was listening in. Varian seemed like he needed to be talked to more than she needed reassurance they weren't being listened too.

"It's okay, you know," Cassandra whispered. Varian looked up in surprise, eyes wide as he stared at her for a moment. Silence passed between them and Cassandra could feel the doubt over her statement thick in the air.

He shook his head and turned from her again.

"No, it's not," he said softly.

Cassandra frowned and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Your dad wouldn't be upset you lost the bow," Cassandra said. Varian laughed darkly under his breath.

"Doesn't mean I'm not," Varian said. Cassandra sighed and retracted her hand. Varian was always sensitive about his family – he had been so young when his mother died and then to see your father swallowed whole by the rocks like that, it had left the whole subject a sore spot for him. It only made matters worse that the bow and arrow were the only thing of his family he had managed to smuggle out during the evacuation, and now that it was gone…. that sore spot was only going to grow.

Cassandra, however, let it go for now. Varian was in no mood to discuss it, and the place they were in was not the best place for it. Perhaps when they stopped for camp.

That was something the Baron's men did, right? Stop for camp?

They kept going for a little while more. The silence the group was in was loud and daunting, but also a comfortable one she wished not to breach at the same time. She knew once they started talking that her tongue would get the best of her – like it always did – and then they would be in even worse trouble.

But at one point, once the sun reached just past its mid-point in the sky, Cassandra noticed a shift in the air. Rapunzel from behind hurried her speed so that she was walking beside them instead. Cassandra noticed that one of her hands was reaching into a blue satchel at her side, where it remained for several moments longer, unchanged.

Cassandra turned away from that, watching as Flynn and Lance slowed their own gaits marginally, letting the two others slip ahead of them. Cassandra watched this for a moment, curiosity sparking in her. What were these three up to?

Varian, too, seemed to catch on that something was going on here, looking between Flynn and Lance with raised brows. Either he caught something she didn't or that brain of his put it together before she did, because his face broke into a wicked grin. He notched an arrow into his quiver slowly and looked over at her, eying the dagger at her belt.

Was he suggesting she take it out? What could would that do? They were outmanned, if Varian was wanting to run, so one dagger and a bow and arrow weren't going to get them far.

Varian nodded his head over to the two men in front of them, and then the lights went off in Cassandra's head. She barely had time to pull out her sword when it happened.

" _Blondie, now!"_

* * *

The frying pan was out of her bag before the phrase completely left his mouth. A frying pan was a strange weapon sure, but it was easily portably and great for hitting people, which she discovered very early into her travels as thief. A point which was proven when said item launched into George's head, knocking the Baron's man cold on to the grassy floor beneath them. Rapunzel smiled at the sight.

The other man Baron had assigned – a blonde, burly man named Harrison – reached for the sword at his belt at the commotion, turning on them with a scowl.

Lance and Flynn, however, were already on the move. Flynn pulled a dagger from his pocket and Lance reached for a blade hidden in his boot. Flynn raced forward, hitting the much larger sword with his thin dagger in a soft shower of sparks and a light crash. Lance went charging into the scene, but Rapunzel turned away before she could see how this affected the sight.

She pulled the rope from her bag and quickly moved to where George was still unconscious on the grass. She ignored the confused stare of Cassandra as she did so.

Rapunzel pulled the rope around George's legs to prevent him from running, before pulling up his torso to begin tying his arms to his sides. She reached for one of the other ropes in her bags and got it out before she heard a slight hiss come from the edge of the clearing.

She peeked over for a second to see Lance's dagger thrust out of his hand, a thin trundle of blood working its way out of his palm. Her heart clenched at the wound – she never wanted to see the boys injured, no matter how minor. Flynn was trying his best to hold off Harrison by himself, but a dagger was little match for a sword.

She felt the rope remove from her hands, and Rapunzel looked back to see Varian smiling at her sheepishly.

"Go," was all he said. Rapunzel nodded and took the frying pan from its place where George's head once was. She didn't look back, just hoped that Varian actually was tying up the man.

She undid one length of hair from her ponytail and wrapped it around her fist, before swinging it forward to wrap around Harrison's leg. An unnoticed action, she pulled the hair towards her, sending the man onto his backside with a scream.

Flynn looked at her, eyes wide. She merely smiled and threw her frying pan towards him. Catching on, he caught in his hand with no words needed spoken.

He reached down and smacked Harrison in the temple, sending him to sleep much like George. Rapunzel gave a sigh of relief and untangled the man's foot from her hair, hoping that some of the stains on his boots didn't come off in her hair.

Lance and Flynn pulled Harrison over to where George was, whom Rapunzel was discovered was tied up just as Varian suggested he would be. Rapunzel didn't have time to dwattle on that. She had much more pressing matters to attend to.

She pulled Lance aside once Flynn got started on tying up their other foe, examining his hand wound critically. It was shallow and had already stopped bleeding for the most part, but the skin was still open with jagged pieces of skin tore in uneven pieces.

Not major, but something that would hurt for a while.

"Nothing we can't fix," Lance said. His eyes became solemn. "You know, after."

After? Oh, right, Cassandra and Varian didn't know.

Rapunzel turned to them now, both of whom was watching the three of them. Cassandra remained mostly unmoved from where she was, looking at them with angry confusion and a thin press to her mouth. Varian, however, seemed much more excited about everything that had happened, looking up at them with wide and excited eyes.

"That was so cool!" Varian said, breaking the silence.

This finally ended the stupor Cassandra was in, and she stepped forward, sword still in her hand.

"What did you just do?" she demanded, landing in front of Flynn with a scowl to end all scowls.

"We," Flynn said, "just signed our death warrants, and kept your guys from the noose. You're welcome."

Cassandra growled. "You just marked me and Varian for the noose for good, that's what you did!"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "No – Equis was a death trap mission. We just saved you from death by Baron and death by King Trevor. You're welcome, again. Really, some appreciation would be nice."

Cassandra laughed. "Appreciation? Why I –"

" _Okay!"_ Rapunzel said. She jutted herself between the two increasingly annoyed individuals, forcing her most diplomatic and kind smile. She gave Flynn a withering looks for acting his usual self during such a high tense situation before sweetly smiling at Cassandra.

"What Flynn was trying to say was that we just kept us from ourselves from Equis," Rapunzel said. "Where all of us, including you two, were going to be executed because King Trevor has the most high-class security in the Seven Kingdoms."

"But Flynn did have a point, you could be a little more appreciative of that fact," Lance tacked on from the side. Rapunzel gave him a pointed look, and he quickly returned to silence.

Varian, who seemed much more excited than he had been earlier, stepped forward now.

"Did you really just take that guy down with a frying pan?" Varian asked in wonder, eying where the item had been cast aside when Flynn had tied up Harrison. Rapunzel and Flynn shared a look before turning back towards Varian.

"Uh…. yes," Rapunzel said. Varian's eyes lit up with curiosity and he locked his gaze on the frying pan.

"Fascinating…" he whispered, and Rapunzel couldn't hold back her smile at the sight.

Cassandra seemed to be wrestling with something, a question she didn't want to ask in her face, before she forced the words down in her throat.

Flynn was the next to speak.

"So…we better get going, if we're going to avoid the Baron's men here when they wake up," Flynn said. Rapunzel nodded. Yes, right, logic, get on the road. That was the smart thing to do. Flynn looked Cassandra and Varian up and down for a moment.

"You can come with us, if you want," Flynn offered. It was comical, almost, the different directions Cassandra and Varian went at this.

"Yes!" Varian said, smiling.

"No way," Cassandra said, scowling.

Cassandra and Varian looked between each other, shocked it seemed by the other's answer, before Cassandra sighed and pulled Varian off to the side.

"We'll be with you in one moment," she said. The two began whispering loudly to each other, the exact words impossible for Rapunzel to make out.

Lance leaned down to Flynn.

"I bet you five gold coins that's her kid," Lance said. Flynn scoffed.

"No way, she looks far too young," Flynn said. "Five more says it's her brother."

Lance smirked. "Deal."

Rapunzel shook her head at the bet but didn't say anything. She too wondered about the relationship between Cassandra and Varian. Cassandra was far too young to be his mother, unless she was far older than she looked, but the only attribute in common they shared was dark hair. Was it possible that was close enough to be siblings?

Cassandra and Varian whispered amongst each other for a moment more, before Cassandra threw her hands up with a "FINE!"

Varian smiled and raced over to them, smiling ear-to-ear. Rapunzel smiled back at him. It seemed the duo was coming with them, at least for the day.

* * *

 ** _IT'S FINALLY FINSIHED DEAR GOD I FINISHED THE CHAPTER THANK YOU JESUS._**

 ** _So, what do you guys think? Next chapter we get into the "meat" of the story, were stuff really goes down after a slight time-jump. Y'all ready for New Dream? ;)_**

 ** _Thank you so much for the support on this story, it means a lot. I hope you guys like this chapter two! (See what I did there? Two, like it was too? You like this chapter too - okay, I'm explaining too much.)_**

 ** _Review Replies:_**

 _ **SunshineTangledLover1826: I feel you on the Stalayn, I feel like we could have gotten so much development for Eugene out of the character and instead we have canon Stalayn. I wasn't aware that a canon age for Flynn/Eugene existed! I'll try to incorporate into other works, but on this one I'll probably just stick with a six-year age gap. It's an AU - I can do whatever I want. (I'm low-key drunk off the power of AUs, send help.) I'm glad you liked it, and it's great hearing from you. Thanks for leaving a comment Bimberries, and have a blessed day!**_  
 ** _\- Princess Chess_**


	3. The Calm Before A Storm

_**Cha** **pter Summary: Three years since Varian and Cassandra have joined them, and things are about to take another turn for this crew.**_

* * *

 _Three Years Later_

"Oh, my goodness – he's _flirting_ with her!" Cassandra said, looking across the Snugly Duckling with a glare. Rapunzel followed her line of sight, taking a sip of her drink, and failed to suppress a smile at the sight Cassandra was currently upset about.

He – being Varian – was indeed flirting with a girl, or at least trying to. He was standing awkwardly by where a young girl his age with dark brown hair was talking, her smile turned up as she watched him. This was no surprise – this was Juliet, the girl Varian had been trying to impress since they arrived in Corona again two years ago.

"Good for him," Rapunzel said. Cassandra grumbled and took a large swig from her own drink.

"He's fifteen, Raps," Cassandra said, voice low with slight annoyance. "He's not supposed to be flirting with girls!"

Rapunzel chuckled softly. Cassandra was over-protective of Varian to ridiculous degree, treating him more akin to a small child than the young teenager he was. Varian was always quick to point out that he is not a young child, which always fell onto deaf ears in regard to his unofficial guardian.

"That's exactly what he's supposed to do," Rapunzel said. Cassandra didn't answer, continuing to glare daggers at the laughing form of Juliet.

Rapunzel frowned.

"Cass – he's the odd man out," Rapunzel said. Varian was the only one of them not in a relationship – or an _implied_ relationship that is. Eugene (or Flynn, as everyone else had to call him) had two years ago finally confessed to her that he loved her, which had quickly been met with joy on her part. Cassandra and Lance as well had quickly established themselves as a duo, regardless of how much they tried to deny it.

And as wonderful as that was, it also left the younger Varian on the outside of that. Rapunzel didn't blame him for crushing on a girl his age. He could have picked someone much worse than a petty thief. At least it was someone that wouldn't scream and alert guards when he tried to impress her.

Cassandra pursed her lips.

"Still too young," Cassandra decided.

Rapunzel sighed but let the issue drop, casting one last look in Varian and Juliet's direction. Varian was laughing now too, and she could see Juliet looking up at him now, a light blush dusting her face. Rapunzel smiled, it seemed that Juliet liked him as well.

"If we can move on from your little brother flirting," Rapunzel said, drawing Cassandra's attention. "When do you think another job will pop up? It's been a few weeks since our last one."

Cassandra, finally turning her eyes away from Varian, gave a shrug and leaned back in her chair.

"That boyfriend of yours said he was working on something big," Cassandra said. She smiled slyly. "But I won't put too much stock in that, remember the last time he said we had a big score?"

Rapunzel did indeed remember when Eugene said that a year ago. What Eugene had thought was a shipment of rubies turned out to be a shipment for Ruby Red Punch, which was just a punch of red powder to make drinks with. And while Varian had been fascinated by it, it hadn't really done much to keep them from going completely broke.

It had kept them hydrated though, she would admit.

"Not all of them can be winners, Cass," Rapunzel said.

"Yes, true, but the losers end up with us starving," Cassandra pointed out. Rapunzel looked down at her drink. That was the risk – not every job was a winner, and you never knew which one it was. A series of bad jobs in a row meant complete disaster, and given that they were a family of five, that meant a series of flops meant even more disaster for them.

And given that the last job, a routine heist on a caravan, had gone exceedingly poor due to their would-be-victims being prepared with hired guards, Rapunzel hoped that whatever came next didn't end the same way.

The sixth month period where they had nothing but busts was still a recent memory. It was a far cry from the scene they were in now, with a few coins for the Snugly Duckling and a chance for Varian to flirt with his crush, no, it had been nothing, but gaunt joints and nights spent wishing for just a sliver of bread.

It had only been a few months since then. They weren't exactly eating the best of the best, but at least now they could eat once a day, even if it was small. This circumstance almost made her wish she hadn't said something back in Vardaros, because then she could count on food in her stomach and a place to sleep.

She looked over at her best friend, who was spinning her drink contemplatively and then back over to where Varian was laughing with the girl. She smiled. _Almost._

Varian and Cassandra were so much more than her friends – they were her family just as much as Eugene and Lance. Cassandra was her sister in almost ever way, and though Varian was officially considered Cassandra's brother, he was unofficially their brother too. Nothing she could think of was worth trading their addition to her life.

The door to the Snugly Duckling opened, the creaking of the wood heard over the din of the patrons. Rapunzel cast her gaze over to the door and smiled, seeing Eugene and Lance walking towards them.

Eugene raised an eyebrow at them, most likely surprised at their lack of Varian. Rapunzel chuckled and motioned with her head towards where Varian's face was getting redder by the second, which caused Eugene to smile a bare fraction. He branched off to where Varian was, Lance continuing their steadfast path to them.

Lance quickly took a seat next to Cassandra, seated just a little too close to her to be considered platonic. Rapunzel smirked into her cup. Hard to believe that Lance had once upon a time been upset Rapunzel had stepped in for Cassandra's safety.

"I see lover boy decided to make his move," Lance said. Rapunzel and Cassandra both raised a brow at their companion; it was voice was tighter, the lightness he put into forced. That was unlike Lance, who was usually quick with a tease or a joke.

"Lance, what's wrong?" Cassandra said, straight to the point like always. Lance looked uneasy and shook his head, meaning clear.

 _Not here._

Rapunzel felt her chest clinch of its own accord.

Eugene appeared at the table now, his smile tighter than normal upon closer inspection, which did little to ease the knots growing in her. Varian, however, looked downright giddy, collar still clutched into Eugene's fist.

"She thinks I'm cute…" he was murmuring under his breath, beaming. Cassandra's narrowed eyes at this statement didn't miss Rapunzel's gaze.

"That's great Varian," Eugene said. His words sounded stern and annoyed, but Rapunzel could detect a little pride in Eugene's voice. Not that Rapunzel could blame him – it was exciting to see Varian grow up a little with this crush. "But unless you get the details on this job, soon enough it won't matter what she thinks because you'll be dead."

This sobered the younger boy a little but didn't wipe away all of his smile. It seemed he was still so high off Juliet calling him 'cute' that he hadn't caught onto Lance and Eugene's slight edge.

Rapunzel set down her cup and leaned forward.

"What job did you get, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked. She didn't lower her voice – the Snugly Duckling wasn't exactly known for its stellar clientele. It wasn't uncommon to hear bits and pieces about a job or a hit, if you wanted to hear it or not.

Eugene bit his lip and looked around suspiciously. The knot in her chest tightened again. If Eugene was nervous to discuss it so openly here – amongst thieves – than it was something either really bad or really dangerous. Probably both.

He stepped away from them and motioned for them all to follow him.

"Come on," Eugene said softly. Rapunzel stood fearfully, leaving her drink behind as Cassandra casted a few coins onto the wooden table.

The journey through the Snugly Duckling and towards the door felt ten times longer then it usually did, a tight feeling over all of them as they left. Even Varian by now seemed to have caught onto the mood, his smile now gone as they entered the forest.

Once Eugene had decided that they were far enough in, he suddenly stopped and rounded on them.

"Now do you are to explain what's going on?" Cassandra asked, leaning against a tree casually. Lance shifted uneasily on his feet and took a seat on a nearby log, neither him or Eugene making any motion to answer her question. She huffed, blowing one strand of her dark hair out of her eyes. "I'll take that as a no."

Rapunzel reached forward and put a concerned hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Eugene?" she said. "What's going on? What _exactly_ is this job?"

Eugene met her eyes and then sighed, removing her grip gently.

"We've been hired by King Frederic."

"We've been _what?!"_ Rapunzel said in unison with Cassandra and Varian. Cassandra perked up from her spot next to the tree, head whipping around to Lance for assurance that Eugene wasn't serious. When the only response was a quite nod of confirmation, Cassandra's eyes widened in confusion and fear.

Rapunzel clutched a fistful of her hair to keep her steady. The king – the king _knew_ about them – he had searched them out – Eugene and Lance had been – they could have been caught – oh –

"Why?" Varian eventually asked, breaking Rapunzel from her thoughts. His eyes were inquisitive, curious, less fear than the four of them. Rapunzel supposed that made sense – Varian had always been the one to see less of the danger in what they were doing. No, that wasn't right. He saw the danger but saw it less as a daunting prospect and more a challenge to figure out how to get past it.

Eugene hesitated and looked to Lance, sharing a glance with his best friend. It was that secret glance that she remembered they gave each other whenever something was too hard to say, even from the first day she had spent with them they had shared that glance. And just like the first days, it put a rotten feeling deep within her.

"Next week is the twentieth anniversary of the Lost Princess of Corona's capture," Eugene said. "The King is worried someone might try to steal his little girl's crown."

"Okay?" Cassandra asked. "And what does this have to do with us?"

Lance gave a ghost of a smile.

"He wants us to steal it first," Lance said.

"He wants us to _what?_ " Rapunzel asked. She hadn't thought it possible that she would be surprised again by this job, especially after learning that the king was the one hiring them. But _this_ – stealing the crown _for_ him, that-that was something she couldn't wrap her head around.

 _Why?_ Why would the king want them to steal it? Didn't he want it protected? It didn't make any sense.

"Why?" Varian asked again, vocalizing her thoughts.

"His informants or spies or whatever you want to call it have gotten information that _someone_ wants to steal it that day, like _for real_ steal it," Eugene explained.

"So he wants _us_ to steal it first," Lance continued, "that way he can make sure it's safe."

"Why should he trust us?" Cassandra asked. "Whose to say we won't steal it from him?"

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying we _should_ steal it? That's a little out of character for _you_ to suggest that, but okay."

Cassandra growled under her breath and sent a death glare from beneath her bangs.

"You know what I meant," she said. Eugene smirked, and Rapunzel could see the sarcastic retort forming behind his eyes. Rapunzel quickly stepped forward before it could reach his lips, knowing full well the fight that would explode after if it did.

"We all know what you meant Cass," Rapunzel said, laying a hand on Cassandra's shoulder.

Cassandra had made a good point – why was the king trusting _them?_ Of all people? _They_ were the band of thieves to search out? There were many more successful bandits in Corona, let alone the world. They were small-time, barely more than petty thieves that just stole to survive.

 _Why?_

"He said that apparently him and his wife had been watching out exploits for a while," Eugene said. "Said that he was impressed by our quote-unquote 'style'."

Varian got a curious look on his face at this, lips pulled into a thin line. His fingers fiddled with the ends of his tattered blue shirt as his eyebrows smushed together in concentration. Rapunzel knew what this meant, they all did; this was the analytical Varian, the one that calculated the risk, the one that was the voice of reason more often then they would like to admit.

"How much did he agree to pay us?" Varian eventually said, looking at Lance and Eugene with that same expression.

A real smile crossed both of the men faces at this.

"He has agreed to pardon us," Lance said. "For all crimes committed here in Corona."

Rapunzel was sure she saw the eyes pop out of Cassandra's head, and she was also pretty sure the same thing happened to her. Varian, however, seemed less affected at this news, only giving a single nod at the intake of information. His analytical side had probably not yet managed to put together what that meant, or maybe he was just waiting to react until he knew exactly what was going on. Maybe both.

"A full pardon…" Cassandra said, voice sounding wistful. Cassandra's eyes were alit with an excitement that Rapunzel very rarely saw from her – _hope._ Cassandra was the one who hated this life the most, and they all knew she was looking for a way out. Maybe this could be that for her.

"In addition to _200_ pieces of gold," Eugene tacked on, and Rapunzel felt her heart squeeze. That was enough for _all_ of them to start over here in Corona – start business in one of the villages, or maybe purchase a farm where the five of them could live alone.

Rapunzel felt hope begin to infect her as well. _This could be a way out._

None of them wanted to be here, every single one of them was forced into a life of crime because of something. Poverty, loneliness, hunger, all of it. Though she hated her time with Mother, Rapunzel ached for the security of the tower, where she didn't have to worry about hunger or the weather or anything. She had thought maybe that Vardaros would be that, but that had been ruined by the Baron and Stalayn and the hateful people that lived there.

This was a way out – a real way out. They could actually be normal for once. Just the five of them, living like normal people did. Her heart wanted it so bad, she could almost see the vision in her head.

They could get a farm out by where the wall of Corona was, it was secluded there, a great place to begin again. The five of them could tend the farm, be self-sustained so that no one could ever guess who they were and where they came from. Maybe once some time passed, Varian could actually go to school, not glean what he can from books he found in the trunks of marks or things he heard in passing.

They could be an actual family.

"What's the catch?" Varian said, voice breaking through her daydream.

Eugene blinked. "The catch?"

Varian rolled his eyes and leaned back on a large rock to sit.

"Whenever a _king_ is involved, a catch isn't far behind," Varian said. His teeth weren't clenched, but they weren't far off. Cassandra gave a sigh, something echoed internally by the others. Varian's life in Lunara was marked by a hatred of the king that had once ruled there, Edmund. Despite the years, he had yet to reveal to them the full story of his life in Lunara, only that Edmund had cost him something, which Rapunzel surmised was his family.

Only Cassandra knew the whole story, and she wasn't one to talk about her own past, let alone Varian's. So, despite the years, their lives before joining them was still shrouded in mystery.

"Varian, do you really want to talk about kings right now?" Cassandra asked. "Because you _know_ I have choices words for _you_ on that subject."

Rapunzel felt resentment in her at Cassandra's words. They were obviously designed to keep the three of them out of the loop, which made her just the tiniest bit upset. She had shared with them her past in the tower and her hair after all, why couldn't they extend the same curtsey to them?

She shook her head. _Stop it, Rapunzel,_ she reminded herself. _It's their story to share. They'll say when they're ready._

(When they _would_ be ready or if they _ever_ would be was a question she ignored for right now.)

Regardless, Cassandra's words did seem to have an affect on the young boy, because he quickly looked away from them and at his scuffed boots, analysis in his eyes quickly replaced with frustration and a fuming bit to his lip. Cassandra gave him one last look before turning away and back to them, pretending the exchange they just witnessed didn't happen.

"So, next week, huh?" Cassandra said. "Doesn't give us a lot of time to get ready, we should probably start now."

* * *

Varian Wry was many things. A thief. A brother. A friend. An alchemist.

A king.

It was his one secret, one he had sworn Cassandra never to tell once he figured it out. Lunara was his home, where he had lived with his father, Quirin – younger brother of the king, Edmund. Years passed, and Edmund produced no heir to the throne and so naturally it was assumed that if Edmund kept on the trajectory the throne would fall to Quirin and then, by matter of succession, Varian after Quirin's death.

Varian hadn't known any of this during the time he lived in Lunara. He had been only six after all when everything went to hell in a hand basket, so his ideas of his family had simply been that Dad wore really bulky clothes sometimes and carried a sword, Mom was never coming back from a place called Heaven, and that Uncle Edmund wore a strange thing called a crown and yelled a lot.

Those were his facts of his early life, and he couldn't change them. He had realized much later from Cassandra that Edmund had been the king and that because Quirin was the heir, that left him now the technical ruler of the waste land that had become Lunara since both of them had been swallowed whole by the rocks that had taken over.

He knew that one day he would have to go back, or at least that was the plan Cassandra was building to. The fifteen-year-old could see it in her eyes, increasingly so as the years passed. This kind of hope and fear when she looked at him, just waiting for the day a leader would emerge from the tricky thief he was.

But that day wasn't coming, so Varian hoped that Cassandra wasn't holding her breath too much. Varian had no interest in being the king of Lunara. He remembered first hand what a king did – lie to their people, refuse evacuations so that families got lost in a war against nature that none of them had wanted, make tragedies that could never be repaired. Lunara had been lost the day Edmund hadn't acknowledged the black rocks, and Cassandra was crazy if she thought he was going to be the one to find it again.

Kings were greedy, manipulative, and terrible people. And he would _never_ be one of them.

Varian leaned against the tree he was sitting under, letting the rays of the disappearing sun hit him as it fell beneath the far away hills. It had been a few hours since Flynn and Lance had broken the news of what their next job would be, and Varian had retreated here immedailty after Flynn had recounted his supposed plan, which had been, as always, _brilliant._

Varian could say many things about Flynn and Lance, but one would always be that they had earned the titles World-Class Thieves for a _reason._

He had scampered away soon after that to this secluded cliff at the edge of the forest, knowing full well that Cassandra was going to want to talk to him about his comments on kings, but he had managed to slip away faster than she had been able to tell him to wait. He knew that he should have kept his mouth shut on the matter, but it had just slipped out. He didn't trust royalty, especially ones that gave offers that were far too tempting to pass up.

But he had bit his lip and let the others continue on with the planning. Maybe, after all, this King Frederic actually was trying to give them an honest deal, and besides, the way his families eyes had lit up at the news… he wasn't going to be the one to burst that bubble for them, not this time.

Varian, would however, have an extra guard up on this job. He was no fool, after all.

He heard crunching leaves behind him break through the silence that had allowed him to think and a groan went through his head. It seemed that Cassandra had finally found him and was ready to give him that lecture he had skimped out on.

He gave a large huff and didn't bother to turn around as he spoke. "I know I said the wrong thing, Cass. You don't have to give me a lecture."

There was a silent beat where Cassandra didn't say anything, but then came a soft laugh that most definitely was not Cassandra's.

"Lucky for you, I didn't come to give you a lecture," said a sweet voice. Varian shot up and turned around to see that it wasn't Cassandra standing behind him, but Juliet. Varian blinked several times, having not been expecting to see her.

"Hello Varian," she said, arms folded behind her back. She looked at him expectantly for a moment, Varian realizing that she probably wanted him to greet her back.

"Oh, um, hey Juliet," he said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Wry," Juliet said. Varian chuckled once under his breath.

"I asked you first, Benson," Varian shot back. Juliet rolled her eyes and walked closer to him.

"Touché," she said. She reached to adjust one of the sleeves of her shirt. "I was just out for a walk when I happened across you." She raised a brow at him, chocolate eyes sprouting with mischief in a way that made Varian's cheeks redden. "Now I believe it's your turn to tell me what you're doing out here."

Varian shrugged. "Just thinking about some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"The kind that's none of your business."

"Oh, well, is that anyway to talk to your new partner?" Juliet asked coyly.

Wait? New partner? What was she talking about?

Catching the confusion on his face, she smiled wider and sat down on the grass below them, patting the seat next to her as a motion for him to come sit. He reluctantly did so, giving her a questioning look the whole way.

"Lady Caine is looking for a new crew," Juliet said, "but I'm assuming you already knew that."

Who didn't know that? Lady Caine was Corona' version of the Baron – infamous and ruthless, she ran Corona's underground basically. She knew about every thief operating in Corona, and every thief knew about her. Rumors had been circulating that Lady Caine's forces were depleted after a heist gone bad a few months ago, and so it was pretty much common knowledge that Caine was on the look-out for new members.

"So?" Varian asked. "In what way does that make us partners?"

Juliet rolled her eyes. "In the 'we both go join her' way."

Varian almost chocked on air at her words.

Him and Juliet? Join Lady Caine? No, that would never happen. He couldn't just abandon his family like that – Rapunzel, Cassandra, Flynn, Lance…. They needed him, and he needed them. They were a well-oiled machine, the worked best as the team they were. Varian knew he would be toast without them.

And joining Caine? With the knowledge of Rapunzel's secret as well as the weight of his own? If Caine were to ever find out about either of those, disaster would be soon to follow, and Varian knew it. Caine wouldn't stop until she had Rapunzel's power for her own and she would use any kind of weight his presumed title had until the very last of Lunara's reputation was ruined, because while the kingdom may be gone it's name could still be heard in some circles.

"Juliet, in what world do you think I'm going to go join Caine?" Varian asked. Juliet rolled her eyes and leaned closer to him, peeking up at him from under her eyelashes. Varian fought to suppress the second blush that was rising, trying his best to ignore that excited part of him that was glad Juliet was here with him.

"Varian, we both know that we both want to be together," Juliet said. "You'll be sixteen next month, and I'll only be a few weeks behind. We both know that if we don't start sticking together _now,_ we're going to end up on the opposite ends of a job sooner or later."

"Wh-who said we wanted to be together?" Varian said, weaker than he would have liked.

"So, you don't want to be my boyfriend?" Juliet asked. "The past year of flirting back and forth? After the kiss? All of that wasn't an indication of wanting to be with me?"

Varian's face was near scarlet at her words. Oh, right, the kiss.

It had been only a month ago. Varian had found her outside the Snugly Duckling, upset from a job gone wrong, tears on her face. He had only been trying to comfort her when suddenly her lips were on his for a few seconds that had felt like an eternity. It had only been a brief one, he was barely even sure at first that their lips had even grazed each other's. Juliet hadn't brought it up ever again, and he was too scared to, so the next day they had returned to awkward flirting and flustered smiles.

"Well, uh –"

" _Exactly,"_ Juliet said. "We're still young enough that we can be partners without having back out of deals. Soon, we won't have that luxury."

"But my family –"

"Last I checked, they aren't enemies of Caine," Juliet said. "You could still free-lance with them, at least for a while." She took one hand of his in her own, a soft, pleading smile on her face.

He looked deep in her eyes and he could see the genuine look in them. She was being serious – this wasn't some kind of trick. This was a real offer she was presenting him, one he could tell she was really wanting him to take.

But his family – he, he couldn't just up and leave them like that. Not for Caine, not when they were on the edge of finally getting out. Regardless of if he had faith in this King Frederic, he couldn't deny that a score that big (be it the crown or the offer from the king) would be more than enough for all five of them to begin again.

He couldn't just up and leave, not when they were tittering so close to leaving the world of crime behind. This was a big moment for all of them, and he couldn't leave them. Not for someone like Lady Caine.

But for Juliet…

Sensing his conflict, she sighed and reached up, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Lips still hovering over his freckled skin, he felt her almost smile.

"Just think about it, okay?" Juliet asked. Varian gulped and turned his face to look directly at her, and he felt a pit in his stomach. He couldn't tell her what she wanted, that he would be her new partner, no matter how much a little part of him was screaming to take her up on it.

"I will," he eventually said. Juliet smiled sadly, and Varian could tell she knew what he did – that he would never consider her offer. She let go of his hand and stood up, the hem of her too big pants swishing against the grass and barely held up by her very tight built.

"I'll see you around, Wry," Juliet said. Then she turned on her heel and left, disappearing into the forest with only the sounds of crinkling leaves and twigs calling out her. Later, Varian would wish he had something in response, because it would be then he realized that 'I'll see you around, Wry' really meant that she loved him.

But later wasn't that moment, so he just watched her go.

* * *

"He really offered us _200_ pieces of gold?" Rapunzel asked for what she sure for the hundredth time from the look on Eugene's face.

"Yes, Blondie, and a pardon too, in case you want to ask about that again," Eugene said, squeezing her hand gently. Rapunzel rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's annoyance and pulled him forward, the soft crackle of the fallen leaves and branches beneath her feet. The moon shone down on them, the pale light hitting Eugene's hair in a way that made Rapunzel just want to smile.

Eugene had asked her to go on a walk, and Rapunzel – never one to turn down alone time with Eugene – had jumped at the offer. She was sure that he was regretting the decision, considering the fact that she had pretty much only been asking about their newest job over and over again.

Not that he could really blame her – Rapunzel was over the moon about this newest opportunity, ready to see it as a way out. Rapunzel was pretty sure that he did too, he seemed to be a better mood, his shoulder lifted higher than they had been in weeks, as if an invisible burden was being lifted off of him. It was a bit premature, yes, but it was so rare they got hope that Rapunzel was ready to let her and Eugene savor it while they did.

"Imagine what we could do with that!" Rapunzel said. "We could start over! All of us! Imagine it with me Eugene!"

Her step almost became a skip as she kept walking forward, eyes lighting up with imagination.

"We could get a farm – me, you, Lance, and Cass could manage it during the week," Rapunzel said. "Varian could go to school and help us on weekends – if he doesn't have – what do you call it? – homework!" Her voice was raising as she went on, but she didn't care. This part of the forest was usually empty this part of the night anyway. "We could grow carrots and lettuce and maybe raise some animals or something or –"

Eugene cut her off with a chuckle. "Seems like you've really thought this through, Blondie."

Rapunzel smiled sheepishly, and Eugene gave a second, more endearing laugh.

"Don't worry about it, Blondie," Eugene said. "I'd be lying if I said we all hadn't been thinking about."

Rapunzel knew that was the truth. Everyone had been a little extra excited after the revelation of the job. Cassandra had spoken wistfully about maybe getting a real job, Lance had been jumping up and down at the possibility of getting new shoes, just about the only one of them that seemed down was Varian, who had returned to their small camp (which was more like the five of them around a fire in a general area than camp) with a frown, something that he hadn't lost since his return. Rapunzel was sure he would perk up soon, he was probably just nervous.

Rapunzel smiled. "And what have you been thinking about doing after the job, Eugene?"

Eugene looked at her nervously. "Me and you getting married."

 _What?_

Her brain stopped completely. Eugene wanted to get married? Since when? They had never talked about getting married. They had been together for over two years, granted, but don't most couples talk about this kind of stuff? Right?

"I mean, on-only if you – if you want to, Blondie," Eugene said, deflated from her moment of silence. Rapunzel shook her head and reached to caress his cheek.

"No-no, Eugene, you just caught me off guard, that's all," Rapunzel assured him. The hurt in his eyes subtracted a little, but she could still see it.

"So?" Eugene asked. "Do you want to get married?"

Rapunzel was unsure how to answer. Did she? She loved Eugene more than any person on this Earth and every vision of the future conjured in her head had him there beside her. Lives where they were thieves, ones where they went straight, others where they were somewhere in between danced in her head, and every time one floated to prominence, while the others might have to leave, his presence was the one she couldn't live without.

She didn't want him to stay with her – she needed him too. He was the one thing she couldn't live without.

She needed to marry him.

"Yes," she said softly.

"What?" There was disbelief in his reply.

Joyful tears sprang in her eyes and she wrapped him in a strong embrace, burying her face in his neck.

"Yes, I want to marry you," Rapunzel said. She felt him take in a breath, but then she too was engulfed in strong arms. She felt like she could stay in his arms forever, wrapped deep in an embrace here in the woods as the moon shone over them. Life could never top this moment, she was sure of it.

The embrace however was broken much sooner than she would have liked, Eugene letting go of her with wide eyes. Rapunzel looked up at him, parting her lips in confusion.

"Hold on," he said, "I have to do this the right way."

Rapunzel nearly laughed as he fell to one knee, considering it redundant at this point considering that she already said yes. He scampered through his satchel for one second before producing a thin line of spool. He smiled up at her and took her left hand, beginning to tie a ribbon around her left pointer finger.

"Rapunzel Gothel, will you do me the honor of allowing me to marry you?"

The look on his face was over-the-top and cheery to the umpteenth degree, not helped by the almost magical way the moon was cutting across his features. But Rapunzel didn't care about any of this, far too happy to care about anything but the future ahead of them.

Tears still streaming she answered. "Yes."

The knot done, he rose to standing and pulled her into a kiss, one she quickly returned with as much passion as she could muster. In that one moment in the forest, everything was perfect for Rapunzel.

But then that moment ended.

* * *

 ** _I swear this fic is not dead, I promise, I've just had a lot to do lately._**

 ** _Also, I had no intention of my OC Juliet popping up when I first started writing this fic, I was going to include her as a cameo but then the scene in the forest happened... Will we see more of her? Time will tell... This is an AU of her as well, were she's an orphan thief and not the quirky island girl she is originally._**

 ** _And New Dream got engaged! YAY!_**

 ** _(And Varina's royalty? WHHHAATT? Me, write a story where Varian is royalty? That's new for me! *sarcasm has been activated in case you can't tell*)_**

 ** _Review Replies: I hope the New Dream portions lived up to your expectations! I was going to have them realizing their feelings in this potion but I realized that would just been unrealistic, because Eugene is not shy with his feelings. I love AUs, they're so much fun! I am game for all kinds of AUs, as long as they allow for the writers/creators to explore different ways a character could be in a different scenario._**

 ** _Thanks for reading and y'all have a blessed day!_**  
 ** _\- Princess Chess_**


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